


Under Two Moons - Part III

by hilandmum



Series: The Crystal Series [4]
Category: None - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-09
Updated: 2011-11-09
Packaged: 2017-10-25 21:40:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilandmum/pseuds/hilandmum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nissa is asked to made new coveralls for an upcoming expedition from the Stronghold using a waterproof yellow fabric. Where are they going and why? And how will it fit into her hopes of going home to Holmdale?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Two Moons - Part III

Under Two Moons Part 3.

Chapter 26.

In the morning I realized how much I'd taken on. I'd agreed to modify Wim's and some of the other women's coveralls the way I had mine, I was committed to doing some of Kwan's work so he wouldn't be missed, and I'd been ordered to report directly to Wert's office after breakfast for a new assignment of some kind.

But the day brightened when we arrived at the refectory to find Madoc there with Blane and Donal. “Good, morning,” I greeted him with a big smile.

“You're really happy to see me, aren't you?” he said.

“You have no idea!” Just sitting down next to him helped me calm my fears that I couldn't possibly do all that was expected of me. “Things are starting to happen here, aren't they?” I asked vaguely. I knew he would understand what I meant.

“Oh, aye,” he replied with a nod. He looked around the table at everyone chatting in small groups and seemed to decide it was safe to tell me, “Your friend Kwan's idea might actually work, but they're still going ahead with the plan to explore Dulno Lake.”

“Is that what the yellow coveralls are for?” I asked, but he looked at me quizzically. “With all the talk about the crystals yesterday, I didn't have a chance to tell you,” I said, and began to explain what I knew about the waterproof fabric and the work that was being done to make coveralls from it. I ended with, “And Wert says he wants me to modify some coveralls for a few people who'll wear them, the way I did my green one. That is, I can only guess that he's talking about the yellow ones.”

Madoc looked thoughtful. Even with the information he had and I didn't, he hadn't heard about any of this.

“And what about the machines that are coming from the factories?” I asked. “Do you know anything about that?”

“Only that finished ones are brought here every month. I'm not even sure which factory they're coming from,” he said.

“How many factories are there?”

“Six, I think. The one near Grenska and one other in Solwintor, one each in Kavas and Standia, and another two much farther away.”

“So the chances are one in six that the ones coming soon are coming from the factory where Kerr is,” I concluded and he nodded.

There were a few other things I wanted to discuss with him and I started by asking, “Did Oskar tell you about the argument he had with Klaus Brun last night before you arrived?”

Madoc nodded. “Col says Brun is a troublemaker, and I don't doubt it.”

“Madoc, what have we gotten ourselves into here?” I didn't mean to whine, but it came out that way.

He smiled at me and put a hand on my shoulder. “It is a precarious situation, no doubt, but I think our being here is helping.”

“I don't really see how,” I said.

“We're asking the right questions and people are beginning to wake up,” he said. “They've been blindly following their leaders for years but it's time they made some of their own decisions.”

I nodded, thinking about how Kwan just accepted his fate in the sewing room when there was even more he could contribute. Maybe Madoc was right and we had sparked something.

“Don't minimize what you did just by refusing to accept your coverall as it was given to you,” he said. “You set an example to everyone else here.”

Hearing him say that further eased my worries about what I'd have to do that day, and yet it made me feel even more responsible for making sure everything I did was perfect. I nodded and looked at my plate to see what else I wanted to eat before I went to Wert's office. I was surprised to find I'd already eaten everything I'd taken. That at least made me chuckle.

“What's so funny?” Donal asked from across the table.

“I don't even remember eating but all my food is gone,” I said.

“That's because I've been eating it,” Morna said with a cheeky grin.

“Morna!”

“You didn't really want to eat it all, did you?” she asked.

I laughed again and sighed. “Actually I think I've had enough.” I turned to Rani who sat diagonally across from me and told her, “I'm going to Wert's office. Hopefully, I'll see you in a little while.”

She nodded. “Don't worry about Kwan's work. I'll try to do some of it, along with my own.”

“I'll see you all at luncheon,” I told the others, then after a bit of thought, I added, “I hope.”

Wert was waiting for me, looking rather serious. “Nissa, it's obvious you have a good eye for tailoring our coveralls to fit different forms.”

“I...I think so,” I replied.

“We've started to produce a new coverall in a limited number for a special...let's just call it a special project.”

I nodded for him to go on, but I wondered why he was being so circumspect.

“The coveralls have to fit better than the ones that are standard issue. It's imperative for the project,” he said.

“What will they be used for?” I asked. “It's important to know so I'll know how to modify them,” I added in an effort to convince him to trust me.

“They'll be used underwater,” Wert said. “That's all you need to know.”

“Have the people who'll be wearing them been chosen? I can alter them best if I have the actual individuals to fit them to.”

He nodded. “That makes sense. But they haven't all been told yet.” He stared at me as he thought about it. “I'll have the first two people here tomorrow, along with one or two coveralls for each of them. You can start then. Meanwhile, finish up whatever you're working on.”

“Yes, I will,” I said. So my guess had been accurate. I wondered who they'd be choosing for the expedition, but I'd find out more on the morrow.

I walked to my sewing room and found Rani at Kwan's table, working on some children's garments.

“I'm going to finish these and also alter one of Wim's coveralls,” she told me.

“Good. I've been told to finish whatever I was working on so I can start on Wert's project tomorrow,” I said.

“The yellow coveralls that Sura was making?”

I nodded, not all that surprised that she'd guessed. “They need to fit better than the usual ones.”

“But why?” she asked, but I wasn't at liberty to tell her, so I just shrugged my shoulders.

There was some more of the green fabric on my work table, along with the paper patterns. I got to work, cutting out pieces and then assembling some more coveralls. “Why do we still need to make more coveralls?” I asked. “Doesn't everyone already have a couple?”

“They're for any newcomers, like the people coming from the factories.”

“But they'll only be here to bring the finished machines, won't they?” I asked.

She stared at me for so long that I began to wonder if she'd ever answer. “Nissa, anyone who comes here stays,” she finally said.

“Anyone?”

“Everyone,” she clarified.

“But we'll be leaving when we've found out more about Madoc's books and we've done whatever we can to help here,” I said.

Rani pressed her lips together, and couldn't hold eye contact. “I don't think so,” she said. “No one ever leaves.”

I couldn't hide my shock. If she was right, we'd never be going home. I couldn't accept that. I knew I needed to talk to my brothers, Morna and Carys about this, and most of all, Madoc. Surely he'd know whether or not it was true.

Everything else on my mind was completely replaced by this. Tears stung my eyes. Yes, I liked most of the people I'd met here and would miss them when we left. But now I had to rearrange my mind to accept that I'd be here the rest of my life. So many things that people had said to me took on new meaning.

I realized I was beginning to believe that Rani had told me the truth. Maybe it was because I'd found her so truthful about everything she'd told me before.

By the time the bell rang for the morning rest period, some of the shock had worn off, but when Rani suggested we go to Gudrin's garden, I begged off. I needed to find Madoc to talk to him. Only I had no idea where he'd be.

I hadn't tried to touch his mind since we were brought to the factory, and I knew that we were avoiding any use of the abilities we'd developed, but this was a special case, wasn't it? I hoped that if I could keep it short and simple, no one would notice. Certainly we hadn't had any indication that anyone at the Stronghold could communicate that way.

Tentatively, I reached out to gently touch his mind and let him know I needed to speak to him. All I got back was a picture of the library. Without hesitation, I walked through the corridors. I remembered the way. But when I entered the huge room full of shelves of books, I didn't see Madoc at all. In fact, the only one there was Toren in his long wizard's robes.

“Well, well, well,” he said. “What have we here? A telepath?”

“What?” I asked, trying to deal with still another shock.

“You can communicate with your mind, can't you?” he guessed.

“No!” I denied it vehemently, but of course he must have sensed the message I'd sent Madoc. And that could only mean that he was a...what did he call it?...a telepath, too.

“And you're quite pretty, too,” he said, reaching out a hand to stroke my hair.

“I...you must have the wrong person!” I said.

“Oh, I'm sure I don't,” he said with a strange sneer. He suddenly grabbed both of my hands with his and pulled me toward him. I struggled to get away, but he was slightly taller and much stronger than I was. I remembered what I'd been told about him.

There was no one else in the library. Even Sobel was gone from his desk near the door.

I could smell Toren's slightly sour breath as he pulled me even closer, and I tried desperately to fight him. Someone once told me that the head is one of the hardest parts of the body. I tilted mine down, under his chin, then lifted it up with all the force I could muster. I could feel the jarring blow as my head connected with his jaw, and still he held me.

I began kicking at him with my feet and knees. All it did was make him laugh, and hurt my legs.

“You're a feisty one, aren't you?” he said. “It'll be more fun with a spitfire like you.”

I redoubled my efforts to get away from him, and then started to scream. Suddenly but briefly, Toren let go of me and put his hands to his ears. At first I thought it was because my screams were so loud, but then I realized I wasn't just screaming with my voice. My mind was screaming at him, and that mind scream was an even more effective weapon than anything else I'd tried.

When he grabbed my hands again, I focused my mind, sending waves of 'sound' to his head. He tried to concentrate and ward them off, but my mind was stronger.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice say, “Let her go!” At the same time, I sensed my attack on Toren's mind was reinforced by someone stronger than either of us.

Toren finally stood back and I was free of his clutches. He sneered at us, “Don't think you'll get away with this!”

“Who are you going to tell? You were bested by a woman,” Madoc sneered back at him. “And it'll come out that you've been hiding the fact that you haven't lost all of your abilities within the Stronghold's walls.”

Toren glared at us both for a minute or two as Madoc's words began to penetrate, and then he left the library. I practically collapsed in Madoc's arms.

 

Chapter 27.

“You managed that very well,” Madoc said.

“Madoc, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have used my mind to let you know I wanted to see you,” I apologized.

“I'm sure you had a good reason for it, and you couldn't know that someone would sense it.” His arms pulled me close.

“Oh, aye, I have a very good reason,” I said. The events of the last few minutes had almost driven the urgency away. “I learned something today that surprised and worried me. Rani told me that everyone who comes to the Stronghold stays. No one leaves, ever. We'll never be going home.”

He sighed. “I was beginning to suspect as much from the things Col and Niko have said.”

“Madoc, I like many of the people here, but I want to go home eventually,” I said.

He nodded. “They're doing important work here, and I want to help, but we can't stay forever.”

“So what should we do?” I asked.

“Let me think about it. Meet me in the lounge after dinner. And bring my sister. I'll have Blane with me.”

“What about Morna and Donal?” I didn't think we should leave them out.

He shook his head. “Anyone else who comes into the lounge will believe that you and I are having a lovers' tryst. Blane and Carys, too. But if the others are there, they'll suspect we're conspiring.”

I nodded, understanding. “Well, I should get back to the sewing room. The morning break will be ending soon,” I said.

“Take care, dearest,” he said, kissing me.

As we left the library, Sobel returned. I wanted to ask him where he'd been when Toren attacked me, but of course I couldn't. At some point we'd have to take the time to look through the books in the library to find others in the language of Madoc's two tomes. And we'd also have to determine how old the books were and who'd printed them. But now was not that time.

When she saw me enter the sewing room, Rani asked,“So, where did you go?”

“To the library,” I said, but I didn't tell her any more. “How are you doing with those children's outfits?”

“Oh, I'm almost finished,” she said smiling. “And come see what I did with Wim's coverall!”

She'd narrowed it to fit him and shortened it, of course, but she'd also embroidered his name on the front.

“Oh, he'll be so happy!” I said. All the while I was wondering if there was a way to take any of the people we'd met with us when we left. That is, if we found a way to leave when we wanted to. I'd definitely want to take Rani!

I helped her finish the children's garments and then went back to what I'd been doing earlier in the morning. Before I knew it, it was luncheon time.

As we walked to the refectory, Rani said, “Kwan still hasn't returned. I'm worried that Wert will notice and ask where he is.”

“I think we need to get word to him to make an appearance at some point today, and also agree on what we'll tell Wert if he comes looking for Kwan.”

“Hmmm,” she said thoughtfully. “There was one time when his little daughter was sick and he stayed with her so his wife could work on something critical.”

“What does his wife do?” I realized I knew nothing about Kwan's family.

“I think Mai works with Katya and Talia's father,” she replied.

“Well, I'm sure she's very busy now,” I said.

“Do you think so?” Rani asked. “I don't know that they're working on anything special.”

“Aren't they always?” I asked to cover for saying too much.

She smiled. “That's true. But Wert might know that the little girl is well. She's one of the ones that Talia cares for.”

We'd reached the refectory and looked around for our friends. Finally, we caught sight of Katya, Blane, Holt, and Helga, so we walked to the table where they were all sitting.

“How was your morning?” Katya asked. It was an innocent question, but I immediately thought about what had happened in the library, and that thought was reinforced when I saw Oskar and Toren arrive. Toren gave me a look with a smug smile on his face that I chose to ignore.

“Sew, sew,” I said, making everyone laugh. I wasn't ready to tell anyone about what had happened in the library.

“The head of the Defenders said we may have a special assignment soon,” Blane said. He sounded excited. I wondered if he'd be so happy if he knew some of the things I did.

“Yes, and Blane and I are the prime candidates for it,” Holt said.

“That's great!” Rani smiled at him.

“So, what are we having for luncheon today?” I asked, getting up to go to the side table to find out. There were meat pies again and the green vegetable I'd last seen at the Grahams' Keep, as well as cheese sandwiches, a cold soup made with vegetables, and more of the burce-like fruits, probably some from the basketful we'd brought with us from the Holgren's farm.

I hadn't seen Carys. She wasn't even with the people who were bringing out the food from the kitchen. Whatever she was doing, I think she was enjoying her assignment more and more each day.

Soon after I sat down to eat, Morna arrived, bringing Wim with her. Rani and I told him that we'd fixed his coverall and we'd bring it to him during the afternoon rest period. He grinned, but I was sure he'd be even more delighted when he saw it.

“We had a great morning,” my sister said. “One of the cows calved. You should have seen how Raj calmed the cow and helped the baby begin to suckle!”

This was further confirmation that the dog's abilities involved working with other animals.

“Wim, I thought you were going to learn to read and write different languages so you could help Col,” I said.

“But I like to help with the animals, too,” he said. “Me and Raj work together.” He grinned at Morna.

I hoped she'd explain what he meant, but she was too hungry. “Let's get some food,” she told the boy and the two of them went to get their luncheon.

Carys still hadn't arrived, and neither had Donal or Madoc before it was time for me to go back to work with Rani. I wondered whether I'd be able to get word to Carys about meeting in the lounge later.

We had plenty to do that afternoon. They must have been expecting a very large influx of people based on the number of coveralls we were working on. I'd done so many that I was becoming quite good at assembling them, and every other one, I added a little bit of an alteration.

At break time, we took Wim's coverall to the area where Gita cared for the animals. I hadn't realized, even from Morna's description, how many there were. We'd seen horses and cows when we first arrived. There were many in the corrals where we left our steeds. But that had been in another chamber. This one was even larger, and held animals of all kinds.

Farm animals, dogs and cats, even a few birds flying from perch to perch. Many of the animals were babies. A few had injured limbs.

In the center of the chamber there was a pond, and in it, fish and frogs and a few turtles.

Morna and Wim, and Raj, too, were tending to some of the animals, but the majority of the work was being done by Gita and two other young women.

“Nissa, Rani, have you come to see our littlest friends?” Gita asked.

“Well, yes, that too, but we really came to bring Wim his coverall,” I told her.

The little boy came over to see what we'd done. I held it up for him to examine it. “Oh,” he said when he saw what was embroidered on the front. “That's my name!”

“Yes, it is. Rani did that for you,” I told him.

He essayed a bow, then grinned up at her. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” He took the garment from me and held it against himself, admiring how it was just the right length. Seeing him with a clean face, hands and hair had been a revelation, but I'd never seen his face light up so much.

“Morna, I'll give you yours tonight,” I told my sister.

“Well, if it's as terrific as yours and Wim's, I can't wait!” she said. “But come see our little calf!”

“That's the one you told us about at luncheon,” I said, walking over to where the small animal was nursing at it's mother with Raj barking encouragement. And Wim came over to pet the dog. Only I don't think that was all he was doing. Now I saw what he'd meant at luncheon. He'd developed a bond with Raj and the two of them helped each other with the other animals.

I could believe this was an enjoyable place to work, especially for someone who loved animals the way Morna did. It was going to be hard to pull her away from it all.

Gita introduced me to her two assistants. It appeared that Rani already knew them. We stayed for a little while longer, admiring the animals, before going back to our own jobs.

While I worked the rest of the afternoon, I tried to think about how we could make our escape. I thought I knew where our horses were, and the way from there to the entrance to the Stronghold, but then what? Which way would we go, back east and around the hills, past the lake, and over the mountains to Grenska? We had to stop for Kerr. There was no way we could go home without him.

But there were too many 'what ifs', too many possible dangers. Could we make the trip back without Col? I was sure we all had a good idea of the route we'd taken, but we didn't know the land the way he did.

And when should we attempt to leave? The expedition to Dulno Lake might provide us with an opportunity, or it might prevent us from leaving at all.

My thoughts became so jumbled that I pricked my finger with the needle I was using, and had to stop to tend to it.

“You seem distracted,” Rani said, and she was right.

“This isn't the most interesting work to do,” I said, meaning the side seams of the coveralls. “I guess my mind's been wandering.”

She nodded. “I've been thinking about the party on the weekend,” she said. “There's usually music and even dancing, and lots of good food.”

“As if we never get enough of that,” I teased.

“You must admit, we are well-fed here.” She finished putting in the gripper of a coverall, and said, “Done!” We had a growing pile of finished garments, between our work and that of the others in the room.

I still hadn't thought of a solution to the problem of making them a more pleasant color. “Rani, how do they get the walls of the corridors so many different colors?” I asked.

“They use stones of different kinds and shades, and some kind of vegetable dyes, like the ones they use on the shutters in the towns nearby,” she replied.

“Has anyone ever tried to use them on cloth?” I asked. “And how do you suppose they made the garments in the next room a yellowish color?”

“That has to be a different fabric,” she said, answering my second question first. “As to dying fabrics, the only time they do that is for party and ceremonial clothing.”

“Oh.” I thought about her answers. “What are you wearing to the party on the weekend?”

“I have one dress for parties. It was brought here by my mother, red silk with some exquisite embroidery.”

I wondered if Carys or Morna had given any thought to what we would wear. All we had with us were our skirts, wide-legged pants, and plain blouses. And even here in the sewing room, I didn't have the kind of fabric that would make us nice dresses. The fabric for the coveralls was ghastly green, and the material I used for our nightgowns was much too thin. One more thing to think about!

But sensing my dilemma, Rani told me, “Don't worry about what to wear. Some people just wear their coveralls, and others only have very simple pants, skirts and blouses.”

I nodded. We could, I supposed, do that. But I knew that Carys and Morna would want something more fitting even more than I did.

I'd finished all I had to for the day, including fixing my sisters coverall, and there wasn't much more time before dinner, so I helped the other three people in our sewing room finish up their garments. They were all quiet and hard workers, and I wished I knew more about them, but they were very reserved.

The bell rang signaling the end of the work day and I bade them good day, then took the coverall I'd altered for Morna and left. I knew things would be different the next day, but before that, there was still this evening and what it might bring.

 

Chapter 28.

We'd been eating dinner for a short while when Carys came rushing in and joined us.

“I finally convinced the dessert cook to make Meecham cookies!” she said. “She said if people liked them, she'd make more for the party on the weekend.”

“Wait until you taste them,” Morna told our new friends. “They're the best.”

Carys left again, but just to get a plate of food. Then she sat down next to Blane. I had to find a way to let them know that we would be meeting with Madoc in the lounge after dinner. Meanwhile, I listened to the conversations around me.

I heard Holt ask Rani to go to the party with him, and that made me smile. I'd had a feeling she liked him.

Donal and Helga were talking about an invention he'd been working on. Try as he might, he couldn't determine what possible use it could have. It didn't do anything besides spin some blades around in a circle within a metal frame.

“Is it anything like a windmill?,” she asked.

He considered that and replied, “The blades of a windmill are much larger and wooden. They're moved by the wind, but you might have a point. Only this works the other way, instead of wind moving the blades, the smaller and rounder metal blades move the air!”

“And considering that there isn't even a breeze in this cavern, that might be very useful here,” she said.

Katya and Talia hadn't joined us that evening. Instead they were eating with Niko and a woman who looked like Talia, that is, rather pretty with huge dark eyes and long wavy black hair, but she chattered away, using her hands, just as Katya often did. Talia used her hands when she spoke, too, come to think of it. I decided she must be their mother.

Carys rose at one point and said, “They've brought out the cookies. I'll go get some for all of us.”

“I'll help you,” I promptly said. As we walked to the food tables, I told her “Madoc wants to meet with you, Blane and me after dinner. In the lounge.”

She nodded. “Blane told me that he told him something about that when they saw each other during the afternoon. Do you know what it's about?”

“Yes,” I replied, looking around to see if anyone was listening to us. I saw several pairs of eyes on us. “I can't tell you more right now, but it's important.”

We each filled plates with enough of the cookies for everyone eating with us and brought them back to our table. Our friends fell on them as if they hadn't just eaten a huge dinner. I watched their faces carefully. After we'd been raving about the cookies for days, I hoped the actuality met their expectations.

But one by one, they broke out in grins and murmurs of appreciation. “You're right!” “These are delicious!” and similar comments were heard around our table and all of the others. I knew that would make Carys happy.

“I think we'll be seeing these at the party,” I said with my own grin.

“Speaking of which,” Morna said, her mouth full of cookie. She wiped her lips with her napkin and went on. “What are we going to wear?”

“I was wondering about that earlier, but Rani says people wear all sorts of clothes, even their coveralls,” I told her.

“I'd rather not,” Carys said, frowning.

“Me, neither,” Morna agreed, as I knew she would. “Can't you make us something?” she asked me. “Like the dresses we wore to Glynis' wedding.” There was a pleading tone to her voice that I hadn't heard from her in a long time.

“There isn't any fabric I can use,” I argued. “And you know how long it took for us to make those dresses! I might be able to dress up one of your blouses or something, but that's all. Anyway, you haven't tried on the coverall I fixed for you,” I added to distract her. So, of course, after dinner, she insisted on going back to the dorm with me to try it on.

As she changed into it, I wondered how I'd get away to meet Madoc. I finally decided I could just say that's what I was doing, knowing that she'd send me on my way with a teasing smile, thinking, as we wanted every to, that it was a lovers' tryst.

“Oh, Nissa, how do I look?” she asked, twirling around before me.

It was still just a coverall, still the awful green color, but it did fit her a lot better. She actually looked sweet in it. “That's much more attractive!” I told her.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed and engulfed me in a big hug.

“Anything for my little sister,” I said. “You know that. But right now, I have to leave. I'm meeting Madoc.”

“In the lounge?” she asked, with the cheeky grin I expected.

I nodded.

“Go have fun,” she said. “And tell him he has my permission to kiss you.”

“Morna!” I admonished her, but I was laughing when I left.

I hurried along the corridors to the lounge, hoping I wouldn't meet anyone on the way. When I arrived, I saw Blane and Carys sitting very close together on the couch that Madoc and I had shared before. He was talking quietly with Niko near the entryway, but he turned and smiled when I entered.

“Sorry I'm late,” I told him with what I thought was a seductive smile.

He motioned for me to follow him between the pieces of furniture in the center of the room, away from prying eyes. The room had walls that met at odd angles, and was filled with groupings of couches and low tables. We found an alcove, hidden from casual sight. It wasn't long before Blane and Carys joined us.

We spoke in whispers. Madoc and I explained what we knew and how we believed that we wouldn't be allowed to leave the Stronghold even when we accomplished what we wanted to, and what the people here wanted of us.

“It was the way Rani said 'no one leaves the Stronghold' that sent shivers up my spine,” I said.

“But Col takes trips all the time. And that couple we met in Osterbruk, they are allowed to leave,” Blane argued.

“They're trusted members of the community and they're expected to return,” Madoc pointed out.

“So what are we going to do?” Carys asked.

“We need to plan a way out, then look for an opportunity to put it into action,” Madoc said.

“But we're all working in different areas on different projects,” Blane said.

“That was done purposely, wasn't it?” I asked, and they all seemed to agree.

“Blane, you're starting something new tomorrow,” Madoc said.

“Do you think it has anything to do with...” I stopped myself before I said 'Dulno Lake'. Neither Blane nor Carys knew about that expedition.

“It's alright,” Madoc said. “I think they should know about that too,” he told me.

So we explained all we knew about what was being planned.

“And the yellow coveralls I'll start working on tomorrow are also probably for the expedition,” I said.

“Do you think we can use the expedition in some way to escape?” Carys asked. “I mean, I like it here. I'm learning a great deal from the cooks, but I don't want to stay here forever.”

“That's the way we all feel,” I told her. “But Madoc and I aren't certain there is a way to use the expedition to enable us to leave. And I've been wondering if we could find our way back to the factory without Col.”

“I think I remember the way,” Blane said.

“But Col knows more than the route we should take,” Madoc pointed out. “Nissa's right. It will be even more difficult going back without him.”

“Madoc, should we also tell them about Toren?” I asked.

He sighed and nodded. “It seems that he hasn't lost all of his powers as he claims.”

“I think he uses that as an excuse so that Oskar will look the other way when Toren goes after the young women here.”

“Aye, that's quite possible,” Madoc said. “In any event, he can use his mind the way we can, and he can sense when we do.”

“Oh!” Carys said, putting her hand to her mouth.

“But we've been refraining from doing that,” Blane said.

“And we should continue to,” Madoc told him. “I know there'll be times when you're tempted, but we can't do it. Please let Donal and Morna know.”

“How much should we tell them?” Carys asked.

“I think you can tell them everything. They can both be discrete if they have to,” Madoc told her.

He and I left the alcove first, walking one way around a corner and a couple of unoccupied couches toward the doorway of the lounge. We held hands and tried to give each other longing looks. We even stopped near the entryway and kissed.

Blane and Carys took a different route from our meeting spot, emerging quite a distance from where we were. They pretended to not even notice us and left the lounge before we did. In any event, there weren't many people in the lounge that night. We didn't see Mena or any of her friends.

Madoc walked me back to my dorm. On the way, I asked him what he knew about the colors of the walls in the corridors. “Surely they mean something, but for the life of me, I can't imagine what that is.”

“I had noticed that many of them are a light blue, and then there's an odd red or green one. I think you're right and there's some significance,” he mused. “Perhaps I'll ask Niko tomorrow.”

“He seems very nice, and I like his daughters,” I said.

“They're a wonderful family. His wife is one of the engineers but she's also interested in books on the stars.”

“Like the one you have?”

Madoc nodded. “She's certain that's how the stars look from lands far to the north and east of here, practically halfway around the world.”

“But she doesn't know the language?”

He shook his head. “The best guess anyone has made is that it's Fartekana, an ancient language used in one of the countries in those lands.”

“Have you talked to Sobel? Does he have any other books in that language?” I asked further.

“I planned to ask him tomorrow. It seems minor compared to everything else,” he said.

“But it's one of the reasons we came here,” I said.

He nodded. “I'll see what I can find out tomorrow. Right now, get some sleep. We'll need all of our wits about us over the next few days.”

I nodded, then kissed him good-night and entered the dorm. At first I thought that Morna was asleep, but once I'd washed and changed into my nightgown, she asked, “Did he kiss you?”

“You're such a romantic!” I told her. “And, yes, he did. It wasn't the first time, either, you know.”

“Oh!”

“Morna, we're becoming closer, Madoc and I, so why shouldn't we kiss?” I asked.

“No reason,” she said.

Carys came in at that point and I wondered if my sister would interrogate her about Blane, but I suppose I'd satisfied her sense of romance for the night. She murmured, “Good-night,” and that was the last we heard from her.

“I'll find an opportunity to talk to her in the morning,” I told Carys, and she went to get ready for bed. I slid under my sheets and tried to get some sleep as Madoc had advised, but it wasn't easy. It seemed that each night I had more to worry about.

I remembered our travels and how I'd kept watch with Madoc almost every night. That always helped me deal with the worries I had then. I wouldn't say that the dangers to us were any greater now, but I was at least as worried about the future as I had been then.

Eventually, I fell asleep. When I woke, my worries were still with me but they didn't seem as unsurmountable. Working together, we would find a way to get home.

It was one of those mornings where I woke Morna. “Get up sleepyhead,” I told her. “There's a delicious breakfast waiting for you in the refectory, and I know you want to show off your coverall.”

That got her up. “Oh, yes!” she said. “I can't wait until Gita sees me in it!”

There was no one else in the bathing room when the two of us washed and dressed. I decided it might be the only time I'd be able to talk to my sister in private. “Morna, I found out yesterday that they expect us to stay here,” I told her.

“What? Never go home?” She was astonished and rather upset.

“We're going to find a way to leave, but not for a few days,” I told her. “Meanwhile, it's very important that no one, and I mean no one, learns about how we can use our minds.”

“I know.”

“No, you really don't. I also found out yesterday that Toren can sense it if we do,” I told her and watched her face as the importance of that sank in.

“Oh!” She stopped what she was doing, trying to absorb everything I'd told her. “Oh!” she said again.

 

Chapter 29.

Morna's enthusiasm for her redesigned coverall was diminished by what I'd told her, but when we returned to the dormitory and the other women admired it, she perked up again.

She received even more compliments when we arrived at the refectory.

“I think all of the other women are jealous,” Morna said. “I bet you're going to get all sorts of requests from people to modify their coveralls.”

“Although I wish I could do that, I'm going to be too busy,” I objected. “Rani saw what I did. Maybe she could help anyone who asks.”

“Are you offering my services?” Rani asked with a smile.

“I'd never do that,” I replied. “It's up to you whether you help anyone or not.”

Her smile turned to a grin. “I'd never deny a request if I can help.”

After breakfast, I returned to Wert's office. He was ready for me. “Ah, Nissa. Ready to get to work?” he asked.

“I think so.” How could I commit before he explained further? I wasn't supposed to know a lot of the things I did, so I waited for him to tell me.

He led me to the sewing room next door, the one where they were assembling the yellow coveralls. There were two people there, besides the seamstresses: my brother and Holt.

“You will be making changes to the coveralls so that they will fit these two young men better than their usual ones, understand?” Wert said as if I was a child being given a simple command and he wasn't sure I followed it.

“Yes, of course,” I said, smiling at him.

“And any seams you sew will have to be coated with this waxy substance,” he said, handing me a small thin container which I assumed contained the wax he meant. With that, he left us to get to work.

I turned to Sura who'd been watching us. “Is there anywhere they can change into these coveralls?” I asked her.

“There's the cabinet,” she said, indicating a door on one side of the room. She opened it to reveal a huge storage cabinet that stood empty.

I nodded and smiled. That would do quite well. “Blane, you go first.”

My brother took one of the yellow garments and entered the cabinet. The doorway was just high enough that he didn't have to bend too much to go through it. He pulled the door closed.

While Blane was changing, Holt said, “I hope you're not going to make us look too much like girls.”

“Why would I do that?” I asked, but I knew he was asking because the only garments he'd seen that I'd modified were women's coveralls.

Blane finally emerged from the cabinet. I circled him thinking. He'd need enough room in his shoulders and legs to move around, but the coverall could fit him more snugly through his long torso. “Holt, why don't you put one of these coveralls on while I work on Blane's,” I suggested, and my brother's friend promptly complied.

As I planned how to change the seams on Blane's garment I asked him in a low voice, “You don't know how to swim, do you?” None of us had ever learned because there wasn't a large enough body of water near the Manor.

He shook his head, “Why do you ask?”

“Well, this fabric is made to be waterproof, so not much of an assumption that you'll be using it in water. In fact, Wert actually said 'underwater'.”

“The Dulno Lake expedition,” he guessed.

I nodded. “I think so. Why else would they need garments that keep water out, even the seams?” I asked.

The color drained from my brother's face. “Nissa, what should I do?”

“How hard could it be to swim underwater?” I asked. “Although, I'm surprised no one's asked you about your swimming ability before they chose you for this.” As we'd talked, I'd realized there wasn't enough fabric in the shoulders for Blane to reach out in various directions. “Lift your arms up,” I instructed him.

As he did, the seam under his arm strained and then opened up.

“Sura,” I called. “Is there any extra fabric left from cutting out the pieces for these?”

“Yes, of course. We always have scraps remaining.” She went to get a box under one of the tables and brought it over. “Is this what you need?” she asked.

“Exactly,” I told her. “I need to add a bit to the shoulders and back so that when Blane stretches his arms there's enough fabric.”

Holt had come out of the cabinet and I looked him over. He wasn't as tall or broad as my brother, and he had a slimmer waist. It was good I had them here so I could see what needed to be done for each of them.

“I heard they'll be selecting the others for this mission by tomorrow,” Holt said, as I took some measurements with a tape. There were lines on the tape every cenidul, which was one hundredth of a dulno.

“Thank you both very much,” I said. “I think I know what I have to do for your coveralls.”

“Is that a dismissal?” Blane asked with a smile. “You don't need us anymore?”

“Well, if you want to stay and watch me sew, I won't mind. But I expect you'll both be quite bored.”

“OK, I understand the message,” he said, grinning at me.

They took turns changing back into their green coveralls and brought me the yellow ones. “I should have these done by sometime tomorrow,” I said. There actually wasn't that much I'd have to do, but I wanted to alter two coveralls for each of them.

The fabric was quite different from any I'd ever worked on. It would have made a lovely dress, even in the yellowish color, but I was certain Wert would frown if I were to try to make one for my sister or Carys for the party. It was a pity.

Cutting the cloth wasn't easy, but sewing it went quickly. I wondered how many more Wert would want me to alter. I also wondered when they'd give Blane, Holt, and the others who were chosen, more information about the expedition.

Before I knew it, the bell rang for the morning break. There were so many things I could do for the short time but I decided the most pressing was to find Madoc. He hadn't been at breakfast. I wondered whether he had been able to think about a way for us to leave this place when we were ready. I also wondered if he knew who the other people were who would be wearing the new coveralls.

But where would he be? He'd said he might talk to Sobel about the language in his books, so I tried the library first. If he was there, I didn't see him.

I realized I didn't know where Madoc had been working the past days, nor where Col's work place was, but Gita would know. My next stop, therefore, was her animal nursery.

“Nissa! Come see the new baby lambs!” Morna said as soon as she saw me. Nothing would curb my sister's enthusiasm.

It wouldn't do to ignore her, so I found myself petting two tiny white lambs. Gita saw me and walked over with Wim. “Do they ever shear the sheep and use the wool for clothing?” I asked her. It was something I'd seen often at the Manor.

“They did when we first arrived,” she told me. “But more recently, they haven't. I suppose they have other sources for making cloth.”

“You don't know what those sources are?” I asked.

“One of the first machines that was made was one to weave fibers. I think they've been experimenting with different fibers recently,” she said. “By the way, I think you did an admirable job on your sister's coverall.”

I smiled. She'd also answered something I'd wondered about.

“But you didn't come here to see our latest additions or talk about weaving machines,” she guessed.

“Actually, I was looking for your husband and Madoc.”

“I'm afraid I can't help you there,” Gita said. “You must understand that Col does not have a fixed place where he works. He spends much of his day visiting the laboratories and inspecting what the scientists and engineers are doing there. I believe Madoc has been accompanying him the past two days.” She seemed to hesitate before saying, “Preparations are underway for an important project.”

“The laboratories. Where are they?” I asked, rather than let on I knew or even cared about the 'project'.

“The green corridors lead to them, just as the blue ones go mainly to living quarters, the yellow to the work rooms and the red ones to common rooms, such as the refectory and library.”

“That explains the different colors!” Still another mystery solved. “Well, thank you. I don't suppose I have enough time now to find them, but at least I'll know where to look in the future. And, truly, those baby lambs are precious!” I started for the doorway. “Good-bye Wim. See you at luncheon, Morna.”

I was surprised that, soon after I returned to the sewing room I was working in that morning, Wert returned with Eva. “You will alter two of these coveralls for her,” Wert ordered. He didn't introduce me to her, just as he hadn't introduced me to Blane and Holt. Did he know I knew them all, or didn't he care?

I repeated the routine I'd followed with the two men, having Eva change, then examining how the garment fit her, and taking several measurements.

“I've already started fixing some of these for Blane and Holt,” I told her when she changed back into her usual green coverall.

“Are they part of this mission, too?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “What do you know about what you'll be doing?”

She shook her head. “Only that it involves water and a search for crystals for the machines.”

I nodded. “Have they told you when you'd be going?” I asked. “Or how many will be in the party?”

“Are you kidding? No, no one told me anything. But I assume it's important and we'll be told what we need to know, when we need to know it.” She picked up a piece of the yellow fabric. “This would make a smashing dress.”

I think when she said 'smashing' it meant it was a good thing. “Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, I doubt we can use the fabric for that. I wish I could make Carys a dress with it for the party this weekend.”

“Oh, don't you have party clothes with you that you can wear?” she asked.

“No. We only packed clothes that would be sturdy enough for riding and sleeping out of doors,” I explained.

“I might have something she could wear,” Eva said. She was about the same size as Carys. “And I'm sure someone would have something to fit you.” It was true that most of the women here were almost as tall as I am.

“What about my sister?” I asked. I know it was strange to be talking about a party with everything else going on, but I think by now everyone was looking forward to it as a change from the routine.

“We'll all look through our things for something for her tonight,” Eva promised. “Are you finished with me for now? Because I dying to see if I can find out more about this mission before luncheon.”

“So you're not going to wait until you're told?” I asked her. “Good for you! I'll see you later, then.”

She left and I went back to finishing the men's coveralls. I'd work on hers in the afternoon. I'd just finished adding extra fabric to various places on Blane's coverall when the bell for luncheon rang.

Satisfied with what I'd accomplished that morning, although still frustrated that I hadn't talked to Madoc, I headed for the refectory with a stop to clean my hands. The wax that I'd been using on the seams was messy and sticky.

Once my hands were clean, I was ready for luncheon. I scanned the tables as I entered the refectory, looking for people I knew. The number of those seemed to be increasing daily. Before I walked to a table where I saw Rani and Katya, I looked over the food. I was surprised to see something I hadn't eaten since I left home, a kind of vegetable and rice stew. I supposed that other cultures ate it too.

I took some of the stew, one of the ubiquitous meat pies, and a slice of bread, then joined my friends.

“This stew is delicious!” Rani said. “I've never had anything quite like it before.”

“What, never?” I asked in surprise. “We have it all the time in the spring. Cook makes it using the fresh vegetables straight out of the garden, and then she thickens it with rice from somewhere west of where we live.”

“Our cooks never made it before,” Katya said, but she looked like she was enjoying it too.

We all came to the same conclusion at the same time. “Carys!” we said in unison and laughed.

“She's already making her mark in the kitchen the way you are in the sewing room,” Katya said.

“How did it go this morning?” Rani asked between forkfuls of stew. She really was enjoying it.

“I think it's going well. It helped that the coveralls I'm fixing are for Blane, Holt and Eva.”

“Oh!” Katya said. “Are they the ones who've been selected to...” She stopped herself before she revealed too much. I wasn't surprised she knew about the expedition. Her father probably told her.

 

Chapter 30.

Our table was filling up with some more of our friends and the talk turned to other subjects, but I could see Rani looking questioningly at Katya and then at me. I didn't know what or how much to tell her, so I just kept my mouth full of food, which wasn't difficult.

“Did Carys make this?” Morna asked after her first taste of the stew.

“It's delicious,” Gudrin said.

So we explained again that it was a standard summer dish at the Manor. That led to talk about dishes everyone missed from their homelands. Even Katya and Talia, who'd come to the Stronghold as young children, had favorites they remembered and wished would show up on the food tables one day.

“You should tell Carys about them,” Donal said. “If you describe the dish and the main ingredients, she might be able to duplicate it.”

Once again I thought about how our party had fit into the daily lives of those at the Stronghold. I knew that Blane, Carys, Donal and Morna were as upset as I was about the idea that we might never leave this place, but I was beginning to wonder whether, with time, they'd change their minds and not be so anxious to find a way to go home.

Blane was so excited about the mission ahead of him, even as he dreaded having to swim underwater when he'd never done that before. Carys was already having an influence in the kitchen and was adding even more dishes to her growing repertoire. Donal's enthusiasm grew with each new machine he examined. And my sister was in heaven working with Gita and her animals.

None of them had come out and said, “Why would we want to leave?”, not yet, but I knew it was coming. Without the urgency, how would I get them to help us plan our escape?

I was happy to see Madoc join us. He, at least, still saw the need to find a way to leave. Or did he?

He saw my sudden frown and asked quietly, “What's wrong, Nissa?”

I shook my head. “I'll tell you later. Is there some place we can meet during the afternoon break?”

He nodded once. “Perhaps we should plan to meet each afternoon someplace. Have you been to the Solarium yet?”

“There's a Solarium?” I asked. Would the surprises in this place never end?

“Yes. It's one of those chambers with a chimney hole, a large one. It's a place people can go to get fresh air and sunlight.”

“Where is it?” I asked.

“If you turn right at the corridor that leads to the library instead of left, it's not too far down.”

“Alright, I'll meet you there during the break,” I agreed. “There are a few things I need to tell you, and to ask about.”

“Of course.” He looked at my plate. “Is that the vegetable stew you like so much?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “I think Carys had the cooks make it so I'd have another reason to stay, or at least so I wouldn't be so anxious to go.” I didn't say any more on the subject, but I could tell that Madoc realized that was one of the things I wanted to discuss with him. Changing the subject, I told him that the first of the yellow coveralls I was altering were for Blane, Holt and Eva.

“I'm not surprised,” he said. But he was still eying my plate. “I think I'm going to get some of that stew before it's all gone.” He rose and went to the food table, returning quickly with a plate containing the stew as well as a few other items.

Morna was telling everyone about the baby lambs, so we joined in that innocuous conversation. My sister's eyes were shining as she talked about the animals, and that did nothing to calm my fears about what my traveling companions wanted to do.

After luncheon, I returned to what I had begun to think of as the 'yellow' sewing room. As I worked on Eva's garment, Sura came over to watch what I was doing.

“You make it look easy,” she said.

“It isn't really difficult. It's just a matter of anticipating what movements people will make, and allowing enough room in the garment for them to make them,” I told her.

“But we don't know what they'll be doing with these coveralls,” she argued.

“Well, Wert said they'd be used underwater, which is logical since they're made with fabric that is as waterproof as possible.”

She nodded.

“So I expect they'll be swimming,” I said. Considering that I never swam myself, though, I couldn't know for sure how it was done, especially underwater. “So how do you think they'll move their arms?” I asked her. Maybe Sura was a swimmer.

“Hmmm,” she said as she thought about it. “Just as on the surface of the water, they'd need to move their arms out in front of them and then push them back through the water.”

“Show me,” I asked. “If I watch you, it will help me picture it.”

She demonstrated what she imagined they'd do and I watched how her coverall moved. It was mostly as I expected, but I saw additional modifications I'd have to make.

“And the legs?” I asked.

“They'd be kicking up and down in short motions,” she said, showing me with her hands.

“So the hips and knees don't move that much?”

“No. The body needs to be streamlined. You've never seen anyone swim?”

I shook my head. Her demonstration helped me too. And it was information I'd want to give my brother before he tried to swim with the others.

“Thanks, Sura!” I told her. “That really helped.”

I'd made considerable progress on Eva's coverall when Wert entered the sewing room with two other men, who I'd seen around but didn't know. “You've been able to complete some of the garments, haven't you?” he asked me.

“I need to make some minor additional adjustments to Blane and Holt's coveralls, and I'm almost finished with one for Eva. I should complete them all soon after the afternoon break.”

“Good,” he said. “Here are two more who need to be fitted. Tomorrow we will begin the next phase of the uniforms.”

The next phase? What else would he want me to do? I expected I'd have to wait until the next morning to find out.

Once he left, I got measurements for the two men, Neelo and Baca. Neelo was of medium height with darker hair than most Solwinish but the same blue eyes and even features, while Baca was darker still, both his skin and hair, although not as dark as Col. He had high cheekbones in a square face and his dark eyes crinkled when he smiled.

Once I'd finished measuring them, I sent them on their way. I wondered if that was it, that the five people would be the expedition party. I was sure there'd be others going to the lake with them, but not diving. There had to be some people at the top to help them haul up the pieces of the satellite.

The bell rang for the afternoon break before I had a chance to finish Eva's coverall, but I was too anxious to see Madoc in private, so I set it aside. I'd finish it later.

I followed Madoc's instructions and found the solarium. It wasn't as large a chamber as I expected from his description, but it was filled with sunlight. Plants grew in the ground and in large pots all around the room. There were groupings of chairs and couches, mostly unoccupied. In fact, besides us, the only other people there were an older couple who were going around the room looking at the plants. I wondered if Gudrin knew about this place, but decided she must.

Madoc took my hands and led me to a couch where we sat down together. “So, what's worrying you, Nissa?” he asked.

“I'm afraid everyone's becoming too comfortable here,” I said. “My brothers, Morna, and Carys have so many reasons to want to stay that they may not be so eager to find a way to leave. All they talk about is what they're doing and how exciting it is.”

He nodded. “It's a wondrous place and they've each found something that they enjoy doing.”

“What...what about you? I know you want to help the people here. I guess I do as well, but have you become so involved in planning the work they're doing that you might want to stay?”

I'm sure he saw how much I feared that. “We'll find a way to go home,” he said. “And I think the others want that too.”

“Why would they? Carys is doing what she's always wanted. Holm Manor isn't even her home, or rather, her home is wherever Blane is. Donal won't rest until he's seen every machine that's been constructed. I think he's also taken a fancy to Ana. Morna's bonded with the animals as well as Gita, Wim and Raj. And Blane is looking forward to learning to swim so he can fulfill his assignment as a member of the Dulno Lake group.”

“And you?” he asked.

“Me? All I do all day is sew, and you know how much I hate to do that!”

“You're not just sewing, are you? You're redesigning the clothing here at the Stronghold.”

“Well, yes,” I admitted.

“And you're serving as an example to these people so that they're beginning to experiment with their lives.”

“You've said that before,” I told him.

“Because it's true. Nissa, you've instilled a new enthusiasm, a new outlook among the others here. That's a very positive thing. It will have an influence on the direction of their future efforts.”

“But...”

“No 'buts',” he said, placing his hands on either side of my face. “This place was beginning to stagnate before we came. Everyone continued to do what they'd always done.”

“But the leaders had plans for the future. I didn't influence their decision to go back to the lake and try to raise the satellite.”

He shrugged. “It appears they do that every few years. It's nothing new. But the efforts to create new crystals by Kwan's method, that's new. And you were quite instrumental in making that happen.”

It was another way of looking at things, and I suppose it helped to know that I was having as much of an effect on the Stronghold as anyone else.

“But if they try to retrieve the satellite every few years, why are they keeping the expedition a secret?”

“There are factions that would try to stop them,” he replied.

“Klaus Brun and his group?” I asked.

“Yes. What do you know about them?”

“Only that they want to make weapons rather than other kinds of machines,” I replied. “And that the two men I heard in the corridor are part of that group. Mena, too.”

“They would only allow a mission to the lake if they were guaranteed that the crystals and other parts of the satellite that are recovered would be used for weaponry,” Madoc explained.

“Then it makes sense that Oskar wouldn't want them to know what he's planning.”

“So, what else is on your mind?” he asked.

“I'm still worried about Toren, but I guess that's minor,” I said.

He nodded. “I'm beginning to think, though, that the walls of the Stronghold are not the reason his magic is diminished here. He is capable of doing more than he tells Oskar, but not as much as he once was. And yet, there's plenty of energy in this cavern. I'm not really sure what his problem is, but I don't think he'll bother you any more.”

I nodded. I guessed his talk with Toren had successfully convinced the mage to leave me alone. “I'm making progress on the waterproof coveralls for the expedition, but I'm worried because Blane never swam before,” I said. “What do you know about what they're planning? Will there be others accompanying the people who've been chosen to dive to the bottom of the lake?”

“I believe there will be a small group going with them. I've only seen some of the equipment they'll be using, some kind of breathing device they've been experimenting on in Niko's lab.”

I nodded. “And then there's the party this weekend.”

He chuckled.

“Don't laugh!” I said. “I understand it's an important event here, and Morna, Carys and I don't have the right clothes. We've had offers from some of our new friends but...”

“You don't want to be beholden to anyone here,” he finished for me.

“Well, yes.”

“I wouldn't worry about that, you know,” he said. “They like the three of you and they want to help. Let them. In return, they'll probably just ask you to alter their coveralls or something.”

I bit my lip. It was true, some of them already had asked. And of course, borrowing dresses from them was the easy thing to do. “Alright.”

“I think we should plan on meeting here every day at this time,” he said as we walked to the door. The afternoon break was ending and we both needed to return to work.

I turned to face him, reaching out a hand to his cheek. “Thank you. It always   
makes me feel better when I've talked things over with you.”

He kissed my forehead and then my lips. “I'm happy to be of service,” he said rather formally, bowing his head.

As I went back to work I was smiling.

I finished Eva's coverall that afternoon, and started work on the ones for the other two men, Neelo and Baca. Neither was as tall as Blane but Neelo was quite broad across the shoulders. He appeared to be Solwinish, but I hadn't talked to him for long.

At dinner that night, there was a big commotion. It seemed the group from one of the factories had just arrived and a group from another factory was due later that evening or the next morning.

We all ate, waiting with anticipation for them to join us. Finally Steward Peterson brought in the first group, and there was Kerr!

 

Chapter 31.

Morna jumped up and called to Kerr. I was surprised at how happy she was to see him, but then so was I.

He started for our table, hesitating when Peterson said something to him, then continued on. When Kerr arrived, he wasn't alone. A pretty Solwinish woman was at his side.

“Inga, these are some of my...friends...from Holm Manor,” he said. He'd started to grow a beard over the time he'd been at the factory. It suited him, made him look less like the vacuous, handsome man I'd known all my life.

We introduced him to our Stronghold friends and asked him and Inga to sit with us, making room for them. No one mentioned he was the Duke's son, just as no one had ever said that Carys was a princess. These people probably wouldn't have been impressed.

“The food here is really good,” Morna told him. “How was it at the factory?”

“It was OK,” Kerr said.

“What kind of machines did you bring?” Donal asked. “I can't wait to see them and what use there is for them.”

“Donal has been working with the people who try to find uses for the new machines,” Blane explained.

“Do you all have jobs here?” Kerr asked.

“Yes,” Morna said. “Carys is working with the cooks, of course, and Nissa is redesigning our coveralls.” She stood to show off hers. “How do you like it?”

“It's better than the ones we wear at the factory,” Inga said admiringly.

Morna nodded. “And Blane works with the defenders of the Stronghold.”

“What about you?” Inga asked.

Morna grinned. “I work with Col's wife in the animal nursery. You met Col at the factory, didn't you?”

“Yes,” Kerr said.

“Why don't the two of you get some food, and then we can talk some more,” Blane said.

“You must be starving after your long trip,” Morna added.

They went together to the food tables and filled their plates, then returned to our table.

“Who brought you here?” I asked once they'd each eaten something and agreed that the food was quite good.

“Oh, there were four of us. One of the scientists, who was on assignment to the factory from the Stronghold, led the rest of us.”

“Did you meet the Holgrens?” Morna asked. “Their dog Peet had so much fun with Raj!”

But they hadn't stopped at the farm, and they hadn't picked any of the fruits there.

“Oh, what about the trees? Do you see many that were burnt?” Morna asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact we did,” Inga said. “Was the fire recent?”

“We saw them burn,” Blane said. “There was a thunderstorm and they were struck by lightning.”

Kerr suddenly looked toward the doorway. “There's Mikal,” he said. “He's the scientist who led us here.”

Mikal wasn't alone. He entered with Oskar, Toren, Madoc and Col. They took Oskar's usual table near the doorway and sat down.

“You said there was another person with you,” I stated.

“Yes. Dreas was injured as we came around the mountain,” Kerr said.

“We had to carry him the rest of the way in the wagon we used for the machines,” Inga said. “His ankle was twisted and his arm broken. He couldn't walk or ride.”

“They must have taken him to the infirmary,” Rani said.

“Yes, that's what they said when we arrived,” Kerr said. “It...it really wasn't an easy journey.”

I'd noticed when he first appeared that Kerr had changed. Some of his bravado had disappeared along with the arrogance that had made it so difficult for any of us to get along with him. The longer he talked, the more I was sure that he was a different person.

“So tell us about those machines,” Donal prompted again.

Kerr described them with the same kind of enthusiasm that Donal showed when he talked about his work. One was the imaging device he'd been working on when we left him at the factory. Another was a kind of lantern but didn't use oil or a candle or any of the usual sources for light.

“They seem very excited about that one,” Inga said.

“And the last one is quite different. I don't really understand what it does or what it's for,” Kerr said.

“It has something to do with the communication devices they use at the factory, except it works over longer distances,” Inga explained.

“I can't wait to see them all,” Donal said.

“I'm sure you'll see them soon enough,” Blane told him. “So, I guess you two will be assigned to the same dormitories here as we are.”

“Well, for as long as we're staying,” Kerr said. “We have work to do back at the factory.” He must have noticed the look that passed among the rest of us. “You don't want me to stay, do you?”

“It's not a matter of want, Kerr,” I said as gently as I could. “Now that you're here, they won't let you leave.”

“Well, that's not completely true,” Gudrin said. “You'll be allowed to go into Osterbruk occasionally.”

“You can't really mean we're going to be here forever!” Kerr said.

Inga bit her lower lip. “I thought they explained that to you when we agreed to be part of the party bringing the machines here,” she told him.

“You knew we wouldn't be able to return to the factory?” he asked her.

She nodded, but couldn't seem to speak.

“It's OK, though,” Morna said. “This place is much better than the factory!” I wondered when she'd changed her mind about wanting to leave. Were my fears well-founded after all?

“We're in a cave!” Kerr said. “Granted it's a big cave, but it's still underground. There's no sunlight, no growing things.”

“That's not exactly true, either,” I said, rather reluctantly. I hated to be championing the place, especially now that I had an unexpected ally wanting to leave. “There are places with huge chimney holes where the animals live and plants grow,” I said. “There's even a solarium.”

“There is?” Donal asked.

I nodded.

“And as Morna said earlier, we each have interesting and important work to do,” Blane said.

But Kerr was still frowning. I was glad of that in a way. I only hoped it didn't mean he'd be a problem after all.

“So you all want to stay here?” Kerr asked, looking from one of us to the other.

“Well...” Morna began.

I'd never said anything in the presence of my new friends, but I felt I had to now. “We want to go home, of course, but not just yet,” I said. “I can't speak for anyone else, but I do want to leave at some point.”

Now Rani and Gudrin looked at me with disappointment.

I turned to them. “You have family here, but our parents are still back in Holm Manor. They expect us to return to them,” I said to defend myself.

Carys finally joined us at that point and greeted Kerr with a smile, but then she sensed the tension around the table. “What's happened?”

“Nissa says she wants to leave,” Rani said.

“Oh, that,” she said, dismissing it. “I expect all of our party would like to go home someday, but we have too much to do here first. Who knows how things might change!”

I looked at her, wondering when she'd changed her mind, too, but I was glad that what she said diffused the situation somewhat. Still, I sensed the rift between me and Rani would take more to heal it.

Meanwhile, Inga asked Carys, “What is it like to work in the kitchen here? There are so many more people to feed than at the factory, I can't imagine how much you must have to prepare for each meal.”

“The cooks here have it under control,” Carys said.

“And they've allowed Carys to introduce some dishes they've never served,” Blane said proudly.

“I noticed there were Meecham cookies on the food tables,” Kerr said. “These are the cookies I mentioned to you,” he told Inga. He'd taken three of them, himself, and held one out for Inga to take a bite.

“Oh, these are good!” Inga said, wiping the crumbs from her lips. “Kerr's been talking about them and a few other things from home.”

“Do the two of you work together?” Carys asked, beginning to eat her own dinner. I don't think she wanted to get back into a discussion of what people missed from Holm Manor, and certainly not about the dishes she'd introduced to the kitchen at the Stronghold.

“Oh, yes,” Inga said with a smile. “We share a table in the laboratory. Or did. I wonder what we'll be doing here.”

“Steward Peterson will give you your assignments, along with your ghastly green coveralls,” Morna said. “If you want Nissa or Rani to alter yours, Inga, just ask.”

“Thanks for volunteering my time, Morna!” I said, but I wasn't really angry. I just had so many people asking me to do that. Well, one more couldn't hurt, I guess. “Although, if you want me to fix anything on the dress you're loaned for the party, it might have to wait,” I warned Morna.

“Oh,” she said sheepishly.

“Party? Is there to be a party?” Inga asked with a bright smile.

“Yes. This weekend,” Rani said.

“Some of us are lending Nissa, Morna and Carys dresses for it,” Katya added. “Do you have anything you can wear?”

“Well, I did bring most of my clothes with me,” she replied, looking apologetically at Blane.

“Because you knew you'd be staying. I understand,” he said, but not as angrily as before. He poured himself some of the juice that was always on the tables for us to drink with meals. “I suppose if I'm stuck here, I might as well get used to it.”

“You'll be fine,” Blane said. The two of them had never been friends although they were the same age and had grown up together, but they'd both been through experiences recently that made them appreciate each other more.

“So have they asked you to play at this party that's about to occur?” Kerr asked Blane.

“What does he mean?” Katya asked me.

“My brother is quite proficient with a gemshorn,” I said, making him blush.

“Well, you are!” Morna told him.

“Oh, then he should play!” Gudrin said. “That is if there's a gemshorn here somewhere.”

“I don't even know what one looks like,” Rani said.

Blane was forced to describe what the instrument looked like and how it sounded. “I doubt whether the music we play at the Manor is the type you want for your party,” he told Rani.

She shrugged. “Just like the food here, we've had all sorts of music in the past.”

“It should be lots of fun,” Inga said.

 

Chapter 32.

After dinner, I asked Inga and Kerr, “Where are your packs?”

“The Steward said they'd be taken to our dorms,” she said. So we showed her the way, while the men took Kerr to the men's dormitory. When we arrived she said, “This is very much like the dorms at the factory.”

Her packs were sitting near the door. While she put things away in the empty cabinet next to the bed she'd picked, the other women brought out dresses for us to select for the party. They were all pretty and very different from what we all wore everyday.

“I'm wearing this,” Rani said, taking out a slim dress in a shiny fabric with a lot of embroidered flowers and birds all over it. She held it against her slim frame. The red color looked great against her brown skin and made her dark eyes shine even more than they usually did.

“That's gorgeous!” Morna exclaimed.

“I only wear it for special occasions,” Rani said. “It was my mother's,” she added in a respectful voice.

She mentioned her parents only rarely. I knew her mother was the one who taught her to sew and that her father had come to the Stronghold as a scientist. But I'd never met them, and didn't even know if they were still alive. Now I realized her mother wasn't.

Katya, Talia, Gudrin, and Helga showed us what they were going to wear. But when we asked Ana, she said, “I'm not going to the party.”

“Why not?” Morna asked. “It's going to be so much fun!”

“I...I don't like parties,” she said.

I was sure there was more to it than that, but my sister wouldn't let it alone. “But we'll all be there, and it won't be the same if you don't come.”

Eva hadn't said anything, but now she turned on Morna, “Give it a rest, will you?”

Morna pulled back as if she'd been slapped.

“If Ana doesn't want to go to the party, that's her decision and you should respect it,” Eva said. “It's no skin off of your nose, is it?”

Morna nodded and told Ana, “I'm sorry. Eva's right. I sometimes forget that some people don't like the same things I do.”

“That's OK, Morna,” Ava said. “I understand.”

“So, Morna, which one would you like to wear,” Katya said, to break the tension.

“Oh! I love this one,” she said, pointing to a frilly pink dress. I think it was Helga's although it didn't look like her style, but then again, how was I to know what her style was when all I'd ever seen her in was a green coverall and a nightgown?

I picked a blue dress, fairly simple, in a soft fabric that I'd never seen before. “What is this made from?” I asked Katya. It was her dress.

“It's woven from the fur of an animal that is sometimes found nearby called a coorchin. They're smallish animals that burrow underground and only come out to seek water and food.”

“Oh, I think Gita has a couple of those!” Morna said. “They're very cute, and they only eat vegetables and plants.”

Carys liked the gray dress Eva had in mind for her. The shade wouldn't look good on everyone, but when Carys held it against herself, it was perfect.

By the time we'd decided on which dresses we liked, Inga had finished putting her things away and came over to see what we were doing.

“Would you like to borrow one of these?” Katya asked.

“Could I? I do have a dress or two, but nothing as beautiful as these.”

“We wouldn't have offered if we didn't want you to,” Gudrin said.

“I think she'd look great in this one,” Morna said, indicating a lavender dress. “How did they make this color?”

No one seemed to know, but we all agreed the dress would be lovely on Inga.

I promised again that I'd alter coveralls for all of our generous friends. “You don't have to do that,” Rani said.

“I think I do.”

“Well, I said I'd help, and I will,” she told me.

But it was time to get ready for bed. It had been a busy day, and I expected the next one would be even busier with all I still had to do.

Inga was already settling in, probably because the Stronghold was so much like the factory. She washed and changed in the bathing room, amazed that the facilities weren't any different than she was used to.

I expected that everything I had on my mind would keep me awake for a while when I lay down on my bed, but that wasn't the case. Still, morning came too soon. I woke not quite ready to face the day ahead. The only thing I was looking forward to was finding out more about the upcoming expedition.

During the night, someone had left two green coveralls for Inga, so when we all dressed, she matched the rest of us. We walked together to the refectory.

“I still don't know my assignment,” she said.

“Don't worry, you'll be told at breakfast,” Katya told her.

“I wonder if the party from the other factory arrived during the night,” Carys said.

When we joined Donal sitting alone at the table we usually used, he told us excitedly, “Blane, Holt and Kerr went with the rescue party for the people from the other factory!”

“Rescue party?”

“They never arrived last night, so Col and Raj went to track them. They'd fallen into a ravine northwest of here,” Donal said. “But that's all anyone said when they came to get Blane and Holt before dawn.”

“And Kerr went with them?” I asked.

“He volunteered,” Donal said. “I was surprised, but everything he's said and done since he arrived has surprised me.”

“I think I know the ravine you mean,” Gudrin said. “The paths through there are quite treacherous. But what were they doing there? I thought they were coming from Standia.”

“What direction is that?” I had no idea where Standia was, only that Col and Gita, and perhaps Rani and her family, came from there.

“It's far to the north and a little ways east of here,” Rani said. “Could they have had to detour around Trenchen?”

I needed a map of this part of the world. So many places I'd never heard of, and probably would never see, but now it seemed they were important.

“Why? What's in Trenchen?” Carys asked.

“It's the main base of a group of marauders, not too far north of here. We've been watching for them very carefully,” said Eva. “But, luckily, they haven't discovered the Stronghold, and for some reason they've stayed out of Osterbruk.”

We all selected some food and sat down at our table. The anxiety in the room was intense. Everyone seemed to have heard about the factory party and the attempt to rescue them. No one would relax until they appeared.

There wasn't much talk at our table that morning. Our eyes returned to the doorway of the refectory time and time again, but there was no sign of either the rescuers or the factory people.

At one point Steward Peterson appeared to announce the assignments for the four who'd come from the Grenska factory. Inga would be working with Donal on finding uses for the machines they'd brought, Kerr was assigned to one of the laboratories making more machines, Dreas would join the hunters and gatherers, once he recovered from his injuries, and Mikal would return to his duties as one of the scientists.

Inga seemed pleased with her assignment, especially after Donal assured her that they had a great team and Ana, who worked with several different teams doing similar experiments, agreed it was the best of them.

We'd already finished eating what we could under the circumstances when Blane and Kerr finally arrived.

“Holt went with Col to take the survivors to the infirmary,” Blane reported. “It was a terrible fall, each one pulling the next in line down with him.”

“How...how many were killed?” Morna asked, her face a picture of horror.

“Only one, and one of the horses,” Kerr said.

“Oh!” my sister cried as tears filled her big blue eyes.

“And two of the machines they were bringing were smashed to bits by the fall,” Blane added.

“Were they able to tell you why they were so far west?” Eva asked.

“Marauders chased them all the way from Baal, they said. I'm not sure where that is, but it was a long way,” Kerr said

“Baal is northeast of Trenchen,” Rani said.

“There were no signs of the marauders when we arrived, but Col is certain they weren't far away, so we took a circuitous route back here,” Blane told us.

That sounded ominous, but there was nothing more to say. We did inform Kerr of his assignment. He grinned.

He and Blane got some food. They were ravenous from their early morning exertions. We left them to their well-deserved breakfasts and went off to our assignments.

I walked slowly to the yellow sewing room, deep in thought about the events of the morning. They couldn't help but influence the mood in the Stronghold, but work had to go on.

I put the finishing touches on Eva's garment and had just started on the ones for Neelo and Baca when Wert entered the room. “Nissa, you will come with me. And bring one of the completed coveralls.”

I knew I couldn't refused, so I put down what I was working on, took one of the coveralls I'd altered for Blane, and followed him out the door and down the corridor. We took several turns and, though I tried to remember, I was sure I'd never find my way back alone.

Eventually we turned into a green corridor. I knew I'd never been this deep into the Stronghold before, and I remembered that Gita told me these corridors led to the laboratories. At the end of one, we turned into a vast room with rough walls, washed completely clean. The woman I'd seen with Niko and his daughters sat on a stool at a table working on what looked like a large round bowl turned upside down. You could see through it to the empty interior.

She looked up at our approach and smiled, displaying bright white teeth in an almost black face. “You're Nissa, aren't you?” she asked in excellent Learic.

“Yes,” I said, returning her smile.

“So, let me see what we have here.” She reached out a hand and took the coverall, looking mainly at the neckline. She lined it up with the open end of the bowl, nodding slightly. “This will work well.”

“What...what is that?” I asked.

“It's a diving helmet,” she explained. “It's secured to the coverall by these,” she added, indicating something around that open end. “So that water can't get in.”

“Zara, she doesn't need to know the details,” Wert insisted.

“Nonsense. It can only help her help us to complete the assembly if she understands how it will all work,” she told him, then smiled at me again.

“So that 'bowl' goes over the swimmer's head?” I asked.

She nodded. “We've constructed a device that can be used to feed oxygen to the diver wearing this. It separates the water around him into it's components, hydrogen and oxygen, and then collects the oxygen in these tubes that are connected to a breathing device.”

I decided to take her work for it, but it seemed strange to me. Then again, all of the machines and inventions they were working with at the Stronghold seemed strange. “Would it help if I made any further adjustments to the neckline of the coveralls?” I asked.

“No, but we'll need a method to attach some small devices to the back and waist, out of the way so they don't interfere with their diving and swimming,” she said.

“Do you mean like loops and pouches? Belts? Pockets maybe? How large and heavy are the devices?”

She smiled again. “Maybe pouches, I think, or closed pockets. You are very good at this! No wonder my daughters talk about you all the time.”

I didn't know what to say. That was quite a compliment.

“So, do you know what you have to do?” Wert asked impatiently.

“Yes, I think so,” I replied. “Zara, could I come back after I finish and show you what I've done on one before I start on the others?”

“Of course,” she said. “Do you know the way?”

I grimaced. “Not exactly. I tried to remember as Wert led me here, but there were too many turns.”

She nodded. “OK, let's take it from where you turn right from the corridor where your sewing room is. It's two right turns, two left, another right, and two more lefts. Got it?”

“Two rights, two lefts, one right and two lefts,” I repeated and she nodded. I took back Blane's coverall. “I should be back here sometime this afternoon,” I told her, then followed Wert back through the labyrinth of the Stronghold. In addition to the directions Zara gave me, I tried to pay attention to the corridor colors. I noted that there was a yellow in there along with the green laboratory corridor walls and the white workroom ones.

 

 

Chapter 33.

As Wert and I neared the sewing room, I suddenly heard a cry for help in my head. It sounded like my sister. She had to be in trouble to be using her mind to call out to me when I'd told her never to do that. Without thinking, I responded by telling her to let me 'see' where she was. The image of the solarium hit me at the same time as the single word. “Solarium!”

“I just remembered that there's something I have to do before I go back to work,” I told Wert and practically ran toward where Morna was, not waiting for him to tell me I couldn't. I hadn't heard the bell, but I knew it had to be close to break time anyway.

I burst into the room and immediately saw my sister in the clutches of Toren. The man was an utter menace! But I knew how to handle him. I used my mind to 'shout' at him. He tried to fend it off, but noticing immediately what I was doing, Morna joined in. He didn't know what hit him, or maybe he did, since it had happened before. He let go of Morna and fled just as I reached Morna and pulled her into my arms.

But Toren didn't get away. Blane and Madoc suddenly appeared, dragging him back in.

“You obviously didn't learn the last time,” Madoc was telling him.

“Last time?” Morna asked.

“He attacked me in the library and I was able to fight him off the same way we just did,” I told her. “That's how I knew he could use his mind like we can.”

“Toren, I think you and I need to have a little talk,” Madoc said. I could have told Toren that when Madoc used that tone of voice, you did exactly what he said.

“I'll take them to their workrooms,” Blane suggested, and Madoc nodded, but his eyes were fixed on Toren.

Once we were out in the corridor, I asked Morna, “What were you doing in the solarium?”

“I just wanted to see what it looked like,” she said. “When the bell rang for morning break, Gita told me where it was. I never even knew there was one until you told us this morning. But why didn't you tell me everything about Toren?”

Blane and I exchanged a look. I'd told him and Carys the details, but never thought to tell Morna. “I'm sorry,” I said. “I should have told you more when we talked about his ability to sense it when we use our minds to communicate.”

Morna nodded. “I didn't want to, but you told me Toren was the one who could tell when we communicate with each other that way, so I thought it would be alright to do so to call for help.”

“Well, I'm afraid not. We don't know whether there are others here who would 'hear' us.”

Morna nodded. “Are there any more secrets you're not telling me?” she asked.

“I think we've told you all that we know for sure,” I said. I thought back on my conversation with her in the bathing room. There may have been some things I hadn't told her. Had I mentioned Dulno Lake?

“But there are things you suspect...”

“Morna, we're not trying to keep anything from you,” Blane said.

The bell rang, signaling that it was time to return to our work.

“I'm going back to the animal nursery,” Morna said, turning away from us.

Blane and I watched her go. “Perhaps we should tell her more about what is going on,” he said.

“And what could we tell her? What good would it do?”

“It might protect her to know more,” he argued.

I knew he was right. “I'll talk to her again this evening.”

“Do you think Madoc will be able to convince Toren to leave us all alone, and keep him from giving us away?”

“I think Master Toren has learned his lesson, that we know how to use our ability to defend ourselves,” I said. “And we've already convinced him that if he tells anyone about what we can do, Oskar and others will learn what powers he still has.”

“Well, I have to get back.”

I realized I still had his coverall in my arms. I was surprised that Morna hadn't asked about it. “This is done except that now I have to add pieces to hold some equipment, devices that Zara told me you'd be carrying on your dive.”

“Zara?”

“Katya and Talia's mother. She works in one of the labs. Did anyone tell you that you'll be using a diving helmet?” I kept my voice low, since there were others in the corridor, on their way back after the break.

“I heard something, but I was waiting for someone to tell me what that was,” he said.

“I've seen one. It attaches to the coverall so that no water gets in and it has a device that will let you breath underwater.”

He nodded. “I still don't understand why they chose me, but I'm looking forward to this.”

“You're not worried about having to dive and swim?”

“Supposedly, they'll show me how before I have to dive deep,” he said.

“That's good. I'll see you at luncheon,” I said.

“You know I'll be there, although that rescue mission early this morning has left me very tired!” Blane said, walking off in the opposite direction from me.

Despite everything that had just happened, I'd been thinking how I could make pouches or pockets to hold the devices. Once I arrived back at the sewing room, I took some more of the remnants of yellow fabric from the box under the table. My more important decision was where to place the pouches on the garment. If the wearer never needed to touch a device, it could be held on his or her back, but if they had to use it during their dive, it needed to be at hand, maybe on the waist. Would a pouch on the upper arm interfere with the divers movement? I didn't know.

In the end, I created several 'pockets' in various positions. When I brought the completed garment to Zara, I was sure she'd tell me which of them would work for the purpose.

I became so absorbed in what I was doing that I almost missed the bell, telling us that it was time for luncheon, not that anyone could ignore the clanging. It was much louder here than in the corridors leading to the labs.

I looked at what I'd done and decided, barring some last minute changes, it would do. I put away my work and left for the refectory.

Donal, Kerr and Blane were the only ones of our group who were already there when I arrived. With them were two other men, one with his right arm in a sling and the other with obvious bruises to his face.

“Nissa, this is Dreas,” Kerr said as I sat down with them.

“I'm pleased to see that you are recovering,” I told him.

He smiled at me and turned to Kerr. “You were right, she's very pretty.”

“And taken,” Donal put in.

“And this is Vander,” Blane said, introducing the other man. “He was with the party from the Standia factory.”

“You had a difficult journey.” What else could I say to the man?

As the others arrived, they were also introduced to the two men. There were many questions for Vander, of course. About the marauders and the fall into the ravine, about Col, Blane and Kerr's rescue and the machines they were bringing, and about what he knew of the 'outside' world.

He answered the questions quite frankly. It appeared that the marauders were becoming more organized, and it was probably unsafe for anyone to travel far in any of the lands between the Stronghold and Standia, a distance of some forty thousand dulnos.

Vander mourned the man who'd died in the fall, but hadn't known him well. There was some speculation that he had connections to the marauders, as he'd only been at the factory for a short time before their journey, and yet had insisted on accompanying the party.

I'd expected that all people from Standia looked like Col, Gita, and Rani, but Vander was as blond as any Solwinish man, yet shorter. Still I didn't feel comfortable asking where he was originally from.

His description of the machines they were bringing fascinated Donal of course. One was some kind of cutting machine for very large pieces of wood or maybe even stone. That one was only partially destroyed by the fall, and it was hoped it could be repaired. Another could dig holes in the ground at a very fast rate and had survived almost intact. But it was the last, a machine to move a heavy cart without the use of horses that had suffered the most damage. They hadn't dared to use it on their journey because it was so intricate and delicate.

“Will you be able to rebuild it?” Donal asked.

“Well, I was one of the people who built it in the first place, so maybe,” Vander said.

“What about the rest of your party?” Katya asked. “Are they so badly hurt that they couldn't come to luncheon?”

“Rohas may be,” Vander said. “He broke his arm like Dreas here, but he also broke his leg or his ankle, I'm not sure which, and his eyes are still unfocused. And the woman who led us, Tiana, is still talking to the other scientists and engineers here about what to do about our machines.”

Despite the focus of our group on Vander, I'd noticed that Morna had joined us but wasn't saying much. She wasn't eating, either, and was sitting as far from me as possible. Every once in a while I caught her looking my way with a frown on her face.

I felt bad. I should have warned her about Toren, but I couldn't have told her all that I knew. Still, she was my sister and she'd never been angry with me in all our years.

Rani must have noticed, too, for she asked me quietly, “What's wrong with Morna?”

I shook my head. “She thinks I'm keeping things from her.”

“Well, of course you are,” Rani said. “We can't tell each other everything!”

“But I've always confided in her,” I explained.

“She's probably disappointed,” Rani said. I didn't understand what she meant. “She looks up to you,” she said, and then grinned. “And not just because you're taller.”

I shrugged.

“She admires you, wants to be like you, and probably thinks that you're not telling her things because you don't trust her.”

“But I do!” I exclaimed.

“Of course you do. So you just have to show her you do in some way.”

I nodded. I looked down at the food on my plate. I usually had a tremendous appetite, but I couldn't eat any more. I tried to concentrate on the conversation around me, Kerr telling Dreas about his assignment as a hunter after he recovered, and everyone speculating about what Vander would be doing if he wasn't asked to repair the machine.

Before I knew it, luncheon was over. I returned to the yellow sewing room and was soon back to work making pouches and pockets in the yellow coveralls that were done. I knew I still needed to alter the ones for Neelo and Baca, and add pouches and pockets to those. I developed a method for doing that systematically and efficiently and it went even faster. But I was happy when the bell rang again for the afternoon break. As always, there was much I needed to discuss with Madoc.

 

 

Chapter 34.

As I walked to the solarium to meet Madoc, I wondered if it was the best place for our private meetings after all. I was relieved to find him already there.

“It's been an eventful morning, hasn't it?” he asked, pulling me into his arms.

“Yes, it has,” I agreed. “What happened with Toren after we left?”

“I...I managed to convince him it was in his best interests if he continued to remain quiet about our abilities to use our minds,” he replied.

“Did you also tell him to refrain from attacking the young women in the Stronghold?” I asked.

“Not exactly, but he won't dare go near you or anyone you might feel the need to defend.”

I chuckled. “I guess I didn't know my own strength.”

“None of us ever had to do what you did, but now you, I, Blane and Morna do.”

“I never asked Blane how he knew to come to the solarium,” I mused.

“I think he's been keeping his mind open to 'receive' cries for help just as I have,” Madoc said.

“But he didn't respond when I tried to contact you the other day,” I said.

“Morna's thoughts were not directed at any one of us, since she couldn't know who would respond. Yours were pointed straight to me.”

“Toren heard mine,” I pointed out.

“Aye. I think his mind works differently from ours.”

“And what other powers does he still have?” I asked.

“That is the question, isn't it? He wasn't willing to share that information with me, although I sense he was quite a powerful wizard, so even the remnants of that power would be formidable.”

“Madoc, is there any way he could be persuaded to help us rather than hinder what we're doing?” I asked. “He wants to help Oskar, doesn't he?”

“That's a thought,” Madoc said. “I'll have to consider it, possibly talk to him again.”

I nodded, then sighed. “Something else came out of that encounter this morning.”

Madoc raised his eyebrows as he waited for me to go on.

“Morna is cross with me, angry that I haven't told her all I know.”

“But there are things you can't share with her,” he said.

“I know that. I should have warned her about Toren. Of course, others have, and it might not have helped in this situation. But I feel guilty that I didn't.”

“Why was she in the solarium?”

“I'd mentioned it at breakfast and she wanted to see it for herself, of course,” I explained. “I should have anticipated that. She's as curious as a cat.”

“Nissa, your sister is a grown woman, well, almost, and you can't take responsibility for all of her actions or for protecting her from all the evils in this world.”

“But if she has more information, she'll be better able to defend herself,” I argued, remembering what Blane said earlier. “I told Blane I'd tell her more this evening. If she's even talking to me.”

“She'll get over it,” he said.

“You sound like Ana. What does that mean?” I asked.

“I mean she'll forgive you, because she loves you. You're her big sister. She looks up to you...in more ways than one.”

“That's what Rani said.” It suddenly struck me that Rani must have forgiven me for saying I wanted to leave.

“What will you tell her?” he asked.

“I'm going to tell her about the expedition to Dulno Lake and make certain she understands that she shouldn't say anything about it to anyone,” I told him. “I think that's the only thing I haven't told her yet. I hate keeping secrets because you don't know who you've told what!”

He considered what I said. “Alright, I think she should know about that, especially since Blane is one of the people going. And, who knows, she may know something that will help.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged. “But she's observant and she may have noticed something that we're unaware of.”

“OK.” I went on to tell him what we'd heard from Vander about the marauders and the man who was killed, although I expected he might have heard some of it already. I certainly didn't want to keep anything from him.

“Do you think the marauders will be a problem for the group going to Dulno Lake?”

“I'm sure the travelers will take every precaution. It's probably fortuitous that there are so many defenders among the people selected for the dive.”

“That's true,” I agreed. “What about the possibility of fixing the machines from the factory in Standia?”

“Col was counting on those machines,” he said. “I believe they'll do what they can to reconstruct them.”

“Donal is fascinated by every one, of course,” I said.

“Because he understands how they work and what a benefit they can be to mankind, not just the people at the Stronghold.”

“Col and the others are planning to share the machines with others, aren't they? I mean when they're finished and they've made enough.”

“That's what I've been trying to get him to decide,” Madoc said. “This place was developed to do that, to build, test and prove the usefulness of machines, and then to distribute them all around the world. But I'm afraid some people here have lost sight of that.”

“But can the machines work outside of the Stronghold? The crystals they have can focus the energies around us, and we both know the energies in this place are very strong, but what will happen outside where they're weaker?” I asked.

“Aye, that's a question that won't be answered until they try,” he replied.

Our time was up and reluctantly we parted, I to return to the sewing room and Madoc to, well, I wasn't certain where he was going, but I assumed it was important.

I soon had two coveralls finished with pockets and pouches of various sizes in different positions. It was time to talk to Zara again and ask for advice. With her instructions on how to return to her lab firmly in mind, I made my way through the corridors.

She wasn't alone when I found her. Niko was with her and so was Kwan's wife, Mai. “Hello, Nissa. Please come in.”

“Um, I just wanted to show you what I've done,” I told Zara, looking at the other two people.

“Nissa's been altering the diving coveralls and I asked her to add holders for the various devices the divers will be using,” Zara explained to the others.

“I wasn't sure of the size and shape of each of the devices, how many there'll be, and whether the divers will need to be able to reach them while they're underwater,” I said, explaining all my questions at once.

“Well, we certainly can help you with that,” Mai said. Her Learic was less formal than Kwan's but she had a similar accent.

“These are some of them,” Niko said, indicating an array of boxes and tubes on the table.

They certainly weren't what I'd expected. I showed them all the pockets and pouches I'd sewn on the coveralls, and together we tried each of the devices in them. Some of the pouches were actually perfect and in a good position!

But the pockets were a problem for most of the boxes because they weren't roomy enough.

“I think the holders have to be sealed in some way,” Zara said.

“But then how will the divers take the devices out when they need to?” Mai asked.

We all stared at the pouches I'd made. Then I looked at the rest of the garment. “I wonder if there are grippers like these that are shorter and can be used for the pockets and pouches,” I said, pointing to the long metal device that closed the front of the coverall.

Niko smiled. “That would be an elegant solution. Those are kept in the sewing rooms, are they not?”

“I think so. There've always been some available when I've constructed a coverall.”

“I'll talk to Wert about finding some short ones for you,” Zara volunteered. Better her than me. I found it difficult to ask the man for anything.

We spent quite some time talking about the size and positioning of all of the pouches and pockets, and other possible ways to close them. By the time we were finished, I had a much clearer understanding of what I still had to do.

“Thank you all,” I said, gathering up the two garments and preparing to leave.

“No, thank you, Nissa,” Niko said.

“I still think one or more of us should go with the divers,” Mai said.

“It's worth considering,” Zara agreed.

“Will there be others with them, someone on land?” I asked. They looked at me questioningly so I went on. “Certainly there should be someone there to keep guard and someone to lend a hand if they need anything lowered to them.”

All three nodded, but it was Niko who narrowed his dark eyes at me. “How much do you know about this expedition? Where they're going and what they'll be doing?”

I looked away from his probing eyes. “I can only assume they will be diving deep and for a long time because Zara told me there's a way to feed the divers oxygen through those bowl-like things.”

“The helmets, yes,” Mai said.

“Nissa, I believe you know more than that,” Niko said quietly.

“Well,” I took a deep breath. I was sure these three people knew all there was to know about the expedition, certainly more than I did, so I wouldn't be giving anything away. And I thought I could trust them. “There's an expedition to Dulno Lake every few years to try to retrieve the satellite buried at the bottom. With the current need for crystals, I expect that's what this expedition is for.”

Again he smiled at me. “Yes. And we are better prepared than we've ever been.”

“But the dangers have increased as well,” I pointed out. “There are factions here who would stop you if they knew. There are the marauders, who are growing in strength, and the scavengers who send their children to steal from all travelers.”

He nodded, and so did the two women, encouraging me to continue. I hadn't realized how much I'd been thinking about this, but I suppose I had, especially after I learned that my brother would be among those going.

“So someone needs to stay on land to protect the supplies and equipment left there, and you'll need a way to raise the parts of the satellite that the divers recover,” I said.

“Those are all good points,” Zara said, but it was apparent they'd already thought of them. “Let us know if you have any further suggestions.”

“Oh, I will,” I said. I felt as if I was being dismissed. “Well, I'd better get back to the sewing room and see what I can do about the pouches.”

“Nissa, we do appreciate what you're doing,” Niko said. “I'm sure you realize that you shouldn't be talking about what we're planning with anyone else.”

“Of course,” I said. “I understand perfectly.”

 

Chapter 35.

I returned to the sewing room the way I'd come, my mind sifting through all I'd learned from my visit to Zara's lab. Of course the organizers of this expedition had already planned for the dangers they'd be facing. Who was I to tell them how to run the mission?

So what had I learned? They confirmed what Madoc had told me and what I'd surmised. It sounded as if they hadn't decided yet how large a party would be going to the lake. There'd been no indication of when they'd be going, either. I hadn't felt any urgency to finish my work on the coveralls, and yet, somehow, I sensed that they were getting closer to the time when Blane and the others would be leaving.

True, I'd seen some of the devices that would fit into my pouches and pockets, but I didn't know what any of them did or how the divers would be using them. I had no need to know, did I?

I entered the sewing room and immediately began to work on moving pouches and enlarging pockets. I hoped that Zara would be true to her word and approach Wert about the grippers.

“Nissa, are you still here?”

I looked up to see Rani in the doorway of the yellow sewing room.

“I need to finish one more seam,” I said. “Has the end of day bell rung?”

“Oh, quite some time ago.”

That was the second time I hadn't heard the bell, both times when I was in the lab area. Was it possible that it wasn't heard there? I wondered why. Maybe they didn't take breaks and worked through luncheon and dinner, but I'd seen Zara in the refectory a few times, and Niko and Mai often.

“I'll be along in a very short while,” I told her. I really wanted to finish this one garment so that I could do all the others the next morning.

“OK,” she said. “I'll see you in the refectory.”

Once the seam was done, I applied the wax to each of the ones I'd just sewn. I'd found that there was a room near the refectory where I could wash my hands, saving me a trip to the dorm.

When I entered the refectory, it looked like most of my friends and family were there. I purposely took a seat next to my sister. I knew she saw me, but she pointedly looked away. Even though I'd had other things on my mind, I'd also been thinking of an approach to get her to talk to me.

First I tried, “How was your afternoon, Morna?” in a friendly voice.

“OK,” she replied.

Well, at least I'd gotten that much out of her. “You know, I feel terrible when I can't talk to you,” I said next.

“Right,” she said.

Next I tried an apology. “I'm really sorry I didn't tell you more before, but if you and I aren't talking at all, I can't tell you anything.”

“You should have thought of that before,” she said.

“You're right,” I told her.

She was so surprised that I'd agree with her, that she turned to me and said, “Yes, I am.”

“Morna, I need to talk to you in private. I never finished what I wanted to tell you either time we talked this morning. Just the two of us. After dinner.”

Her eyes studied me and she pressed her lips together. I knew she was trying to decide whether to stay angry with me, or to hear me out. Her curiosity about what I wanted to say seemed to get the better of her. “OK,” she agreed. “Where?”

Where could we be alone and be certain we wouldn't be disturbed? “Come back with me to the sewing room,” I said. I didn't think anyone used it at night. “I have some things to show you.”

She looked puzzled but eventually nodded. “I'd like to see where you work.”

I smiled at her. I could accept that as a legitimate reason for us to go there.

The others were talking about some new rumors, so we joined in the conversation as if we'd been listening all along.

Katya had heard that they were going to use the device that Kerr, Inga and Dreas had brought to take images of everyone at the Stronghold. “Steward Peterson wants them for the records he's keeping,” she said.

We talked about whether we would feel anything if our image was taken by the device, but Kerr reassured us that they'd tried it at the factory and you didn't feel a thing.

After dinner, instead of going to the dorms with the other women, Morna and I started for my workroom.

“Where are you two going?” Rani asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to show my sister where we work,” I said, using Morna's idea of an excuse and gaining a smile from her. “After all, I've been to the animal nursery.”

Rani just nodded. I supposed she spent enough time in the sewing rooms during the day, and didn't really want to go back. The others were too busy talking about the upcoming party to care, either.

I took Morna directly to the room where we were working on the yellow coveralls, explaining as we passed it that the other room was where I started with Rani and Kwan.

“This is where I'm working on the garments for Kerr and a few others, for their mission.”

“That's what you wanted to show me?” she asked.

“Well, yes. You see these are very special coveralls.” I pulled out the one I'd just finished before dinner. “The fabric is waterproof.” I let her touch it to compare with what she was wearing.

“So their mission is in water,” she surmised.

I smiled at her. “Exactly! And I've been asked to add these pouches and pockets,” I added, pointing them all out to her.

“What...what are they for?”

“For some small devices they'll be taking with them when they dive.”

“Dive? Kerr can't even swim!”

“No he can't, but they've assured him it will be easy to learn,” I said. “Morna, what I haven't told you is that I know where they're going and why. They'll be diving in Dulno Lake to try to retrieve parts of the buried satellite.”

“That's what you didn't tell me?” Morna asked. It was obviously not what she expected.

I nodded. “Yes, that's it.”

“Oh, I thought...I mean...are you sure there's nothing else going on that I don't know about?” she asked.

“Well, there's a faction headed by Klaus Brun who would rather make weapons than useful machines,” I said. “Mena and her friends are part of it.”

“I knew I didn't like her,” Morna said. “It's just that I sense lots of...undercurrents, you know? And I thought you wanting to leave and all, you might have reasons I didn't know.”

“I thought we all wanted to leave, or at least to have that option,” I said. “I guess you like it here so much, you don't care whether you ever see Mother and Father again.”

“Oh, Nissa, that's not true! But this is a wondrous place and I'm learning so much from Gita and meeting such interesting people...”

“Like Dreas?” I asked. It was my turn to tease her.

“Well...” she said. “He is rather handsome, isn't he?”

“And injured, the poor dear,” I said in mock sympathy, but I couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up.

“Nissa!” she said, but she was laughing too.

“C'mon. Let's get back to the dorm,” I told her, taking her arm. “I don't want to miss all the gossip.”

“I really like the women we've met here,” Morna said. “Except for Mena of course. I'm going to miss them.”

“Maybe someone will recreate a machine that lets us talk to them even if we're very far away,” I said. “I don't know how far the communication device that Kerr brought can carry, but maybe something like that.”

“Wouldn't that be wonderful!” she agreed.

When we arrived at the dorm, Carys was showing the other women one of the dances we do back at the Manor. “Morna, come help me show them the steps,” Carys said.

“Of course, your highness,” Morna said with a mock bow and they laughed. I don't think any of the others picked up on what Morna said, or took it literally.

My sister and my friend did well demonstrating the dance without any music.

“That's similar to our 'vago',” Katya said. It was her turn to dance with her sister as a partner. She was right. Their dance was similar.

“So there's dancing at the parties?” I asked.

“Oh, yes. They're really a celebration, after all,” Katya said.

“We usually have one after a group has come from one or more of the factories,” Rani explained. “A welcoming for the newcomers.”

“And this time we have two factory groups as well as all of you,” Gudrin added, meaning our group from Leara. “I'm sure the cooks will go all out with a lavish spread.”

Carys nodded. “They've already been cooking additional food for days! They're baking lots of pastries and breads, and preparing salads and pickled vegetables. One of the translators brought them a book of recipes and they've going through it trying every one.”

We all agreed this would be an enjoyable party. I just wondered how it would fit in with the plans for the expedition.

 

Chapter 36.

That night I had the strangest dream. People were chasing me through the corridors of the Stronghold. Some were corridors I'd never seen, with walls the colors of the green and yellow coveralls.

I tried to avoid them, to find my family and friends, especially Madoc, but I had no idea where they were. I continued to run, but they were coming closer.

Suddenly two were close enough for me to see that they were Mena's friends, Grif and Tomas. One reached out and grabbed my hair while the other caught the neck of my coverall in his hand.

Tomas shouted something I didn't understand, but I felt a hand reach inside the top of the coverall and pull on the chain around my neck, the one holding the blue brooch. I felt it choking me and then it released. When I reached a hand up to touch it, I found it was gone.

I stopped and turned, and saw the two men running back the other way. That's when I began to cry. I tried to understand why they would want the brooch, or even how they knew I had it, but mostly I was very unhappy that it was gone. It had been the one and only gift that Madoc ever gave me and I cherished it.

I woke in the morning with a feeling of foreboding, but didn't tell anyone about my dream. So when we walked into the refectory for breakfast, and the noise level was much higher than usual, I dreaded what we would hear.

“Klaus Brun is gone, and so are his supporters,” Madoc reported to us when we sat down to eat. “No one knows when or how they left, but it was sometime during the night.” My hand went immediately to my brooch, but I relaxed a little when I found that it was still there.

“I thought no one could leave,” Morna said.

“There aren't any guards preventing it,” Blane said. “It's just an expectation that everyone accepts. Once they're here, there's no reason for them to go.”

“Does Oskar think they've gone to...” I stopped before I said it, but Madoc smiled at me.

“With Brun and his faction gone, the ban on discussing the upcoming expedition has been lifted.”

“So do you think that's where they've gone? To the lake?” I asked.

Those who didn't know about what had been planned looked at me in surprise.

“An expedition to explore Dulno Lake and try to retrieve the satellite buried at the bottom was planned for a short time from now,” Madoc explained. “Oskar thinks Brun learned about the plans and will try to attack the expedition on the way there.”

“Those yellow coveralls that Nissa is working on, they're for the divers?” Rani asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“And I'm one of the divers,” Blane said.

“But you don't know how to swim!” Donal exclaimed.

“So, I'll learn,” Blane explained with a shrug. “And to dive. Holt, Eva and I are going.”

“And two others named Neelo and Baca,” I supplied.

“Niko and I will be going with them to assist from the shore,” Madoc added.

“What? When did you learn this?” I asked.

“When Oskar decided that we were leaving sooner than expected,” he said. “Tomorrow in fact.”

“But you can't go!” I shouted.

Madoc put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Nissa, you yourself said that the divers would need assistance from the land.”

“What about the party? You all can't be gone for the party!” Morna insisted.

I hadn't yet accepted that Madoc would be going without me. I understood the need for the expedition group to leave as soon as possible, but I had to delay them long enough to convince someone to allow Madoc to remain at the Stronghold. “I'm not even finished with the alterations to the coveralls. I still need the grippers for the pockets to hold all the devices.”

“I'll bring your concerns to Oskar's attention, but please, don't make things any more difficult than they are. The only way we can defeat Brun's plan is to outsmart him,” Madoc told us. The way he looked at me indicated that he didn't want me to voice any more objections. I only hoped we could talk again in private and soon.

We ate our breakfast, but stopped every time someone new joined us to ask if there was any further word on Brun and his group. It was all anyone was talking about that morning.

I finally escaped to the yellow sewing room, knowing I had to rush to complete all of the coveralls as soon as possible. When Wert came in carrying a large number of small grippers, I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd been trying to think of another way to close the pockets and pouches if I didn't have them, but now I could set to work attaching them and making sure they sealed enough to keep the devices dry underwater.

I almost ignored the bell for the morning break, but my fingers needed a rest from the incessant sewing. And I was curious whether anything else had happened. As I left the sewing room, Madoc came down the corridor and took my elbow, steering me towards the solarium. I knew he had something important to tell me, something that still wasn't common knowledge.

“Nissa, it appears that the group that will leave tomorrow will be much larger than we thought,” he said. “Oskar is sending Toren with us, and they've decided that we will need a cook. I was able to convince them that my sister would do well in that capacity.”

“And did you also convince him you need a seamstress?” I asked, almost as a joke.

He grinned at me. “That I did.”

“You're...you're serious?”

“Aye. I know we talked about the possibility of using this as a way to make our escape from the Stronghold, but that's not why I want all of our party along,” he said, watching to ensure that I understood him. “Oskar, Col and the others still need our help.”

“I know,” I agreed. “But once the mission is over, once we've helped them recover the satellite and all that it contains, can't we leave then?”

“Quite possibly.”

“What about Morna and Donal?” I asked.

“Aren't you forgetting Kerr?”

“Well, yes, him too. So, what about them?” I asked again.

“It is expected that some of Kwan's crystals will be ready soon for use in the machines we'll need to dismantle the satellite and bring the pieces up once the divers have located it,” he said. “A second party, led by Col, and including Kwan, Donal and Kerr, will bring them to the lake once they're ready and have been tested. They're also testing the machines that Kerr brought from the factory, because they'll be useful in this endeavor.”

“And my sister?” He'd accounted for the rest of us, but not for her.

“Col will be bringing Raj and Wim with him, and his wife is insisting that Morna accompany them to keep an eye on the boy.”

I thought through what he'd told me. It certainly fit in with what we wanted, that is, not to be separated. “Have the others been told yet?”

“If they haven't, they will be by luncheon time.”

“And the party this weekend?”

“It's being postponed until after this mission,” he replied.

“So we'd miss it if we leave from the lake. Morna and Carys won't be very happy about that,” I said. “In fact, it might give them another reason to come back to the Stronghold and stay.”

“We might have to come back here in any event before we leave for home. I'd rather leave with Oskar's blessing then to sneak off in the night.”

“Like Brun and his crew.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Morning break was about to end. I knew I'd continue to think about all of this while I worked the rest of the morning, but I was pleased that Madoc had decided to tell me himself.

“Nissa, we began this journey together, and we will continue it that way,” he said, kissing me.

“Always,” I said. “I'll see you at luncheon.” I kissed him lightly as we parted at the door to the solarium.

Despite what Madoc had told me, I was surprised to see Niko waiting for me when I returned to the sewing room.

“I've attached about half of the grippers, and should be able to finish them all early this afternoon,” I told him, reaching for one of the garments to show him how it had come out.

He nodded. “That will do quite well,” he said. “But the reason I came to talk to you was to let you know that we'll need your services on this expedition.”

I didn't know whether to mention that Madoc had already told me that, but decided that it wouldn't hurt to keep quiet. “Oh!” I said, feigning surprise. “You mean I'm to be going with you?”

He chuckled. I suppose I wasn't that good at pretending. “I suppose Madoc told you already. We'll need someone with us who has worked with the waterproof fabric in the eventuality that we need to make repairs or adjustments to the coveralls.”

Madoc hadn't explained that would be my task, but it did make sense. “I'll be happy to do whatever I can to ensure that this mission is successful.”

“Good. We'll be leaving at dawn tomorrow. Hopefully, Brun and his group won't expect us to leave so soon, especially since they knew about the party this weekend. Well, I'll let you get back to work.” With that, he left. Each time I'd met Katya and Talia's father, I liked him more and more. He knew what had to be done and he did it, or arranged to have it done.

By luncheon time I'd finished all but two of the coveralls. I did wonder what the rest of us would be wearing but I expected that I'd be told soon enough.

All talk in the refectory had turned from the departure of Brun's group to the impending departure of the expedition to the lake. It seemed that everyone knew who would be making the journey, either with the first group or the second.

“And we won't miss the party!” Morna grinned at the thought.

“I can see Madoc's hand in selecting some of the participants,” Blane said with his own grin.

I knew they both understood the dangers each of the groups would be facing, but they chose to think of it as another adventure. I decided there was nothing wrong with that.

It felt good, too, to be able to talk openly about the expedition. All I could hope was that it would be successful and we would all return in one piece so we could enjoy the party afterwards.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued in parts IV and V.


End file.
